August 1, 2019
Dear St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School Families,

Hello! Let the countdown to the first day of school begin! I hope you and your students are as excited to welcome the 2019-2020 school year as I am! After our usual summer deep-clean, the classrooms are looking fresh and clean – but not complete without our Dolphins in them. 😊 

I look forward to this year for a variety of reasons. I’m very excited to embrace this year’s theme and implement two new programs which reinforce this theme. In alignment with our parish, we will adopt the theme of “Belong. Believe. Bless.” as part of a three-year focus on these essential components of our faith. This year, we embrace the first word: BELONG. 

This word, “BELONG”, has many definitions. All definitions include being a part of something bigger and being properly placed. With a student population of almost 470 and a faculty/staff of approximately 60, we are certainly part of something bigger. And I believe that no one is here by accident. We are lovingly placed here by God and are most certainly “properly placed”. When thinking of “belonging”, initially, the image of family arises --- our first experience of community and our first place of belonging. This year, we will stress to all of our community - students, parents, extended family members, faculty, staff, alumni - that this is a place where we all belong. We will deliberately share this message knowing the wisdom of St. Mother Teresa: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” We hope you will attend some of our new events this year so that you can more deeply know and be involved in this place to which you belong. We want you to visit our campus!

Our newly-adopted Social – Emotional Learning program, Second Step, will kick off quickly. This program helps create empathy and understanding in our students. In a world where every answer is at the tip of our fingertips and personal conversation has been traded for posts and texts, this program will open the eyes of our students to the importance of understanding and relating to others giving them the tools needed to live as a disciple of Christ. All faculty / staff will be trained in August. Information will be shared with our families so that we are learning and growing together with the shared goal of supporting our students. Secondly, our new Enrichment program supports our theme of belonging in reaching out to challenge all students to extend their thinking. We hope to grow this program in coming years. 

I’m grateful my “rookie year” at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School has passed. Last year was a year of learning as I absorbed the culture, community and practices of this wonderful school. I believe firmly that our school is top-notch. I am blessed to be a part of this community as an administrator and a parent. The dedication of our faculty and staff continues to amaze me. The joy in the faces of our students is contagious and the amount of growth and learning both in our academics and our faith is awe-inspiring. Thank you for choosing St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School! 2019-2020 will be a fantastic year!

Only by His Grace,

Veronica Tucker
Principal
Please review the Family Handbook prior to the start of the 2019-2020 school year.
RISSE BROTHERS UNIFORM SALES

Wednesday, August 7 | 8 am - 3 pm
Thursday, August 8 | 10 am - 5 pm
In Sheltz Fellowship Hall
Uniforms may also be purchased online at: www.rissebrothers.com or at their Houston Store: 9000 Hempstead Rd #120 Houston, TX 77008.
MEET THE TEACHER
Monday, August 12 | 4 – 6 pm (Doors open at 4 pm)
  • ï»żMeet teachers, visit your student's classroom, purchase P.E uniforms, pick up yearbooks in the library, medication drop-off and clinic information.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Tuesday, August 13 | 8 am – 12 pm (Doors open at 7:40 am )
  • There is no car line on the first day of school. Students should be dropped off and picked up in their classrooms.
  • There is no Beyond the Bell on August 13th.

SPIRIT DAY AT CRUST PIZZA ALDEN BRIDGE
Tuesday, August 13 | Open 11 am - 9 pm
  • Join your friends for lunch or dinner on our half-day! Be sure to let them know that you are supporting St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School when you order and a portion your purchase will be donated back to the school.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL REMINDERS
WHAT DO I BRING TO SCHOOL?
School supplies have been purchased in bulk and will be in the classroom when students arrive. Students need to bring a zippered backpack and lunchbox if they are bringing snack/lunch to school ( lunch is not served on the first day of school ). Information about snacks will be provided by the classroom teachers. Backpacks must be large enough to hold textbooks and a 9 1/2” x 11” folder but small enough to fit into classroom cubbies or middle school lockers as storage space is limited. We highly encourage Pre–K & K students to have non—rolling backpacks due to safety concerns. Please label backpacks and lunchboxes.

  • Arrival & Dismissal Form (for walkers, bikers, and ALL middle school students) should be filled out and turned in at Meet the Teacher or on the first day of school to teachers or front office.

UNIFORMS, SHOES & DRESS CODE
Uniforms are required beginning on the first day of school. Here are a few reminders:
  • Shopping for socks and shoes will be easier if you read the requirements first and refer to dress code in the Family Handbook and the uniform color chart.
  • Before getting back to school haircuts, please read the requirements.
  • Uniform information is available at: staopcs.org/uniforms
IMPORTANT – Uniform and dress code infractions are reflected in conduct grades. P.E. uniforms are required for 6 th –8 th grades. P.E. Uniforms will be available for sale at Meet the Teacher and the First Day of School.

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL REMINDERS
  • There is no car line on the first day of school. All students should be dropped off and picked up in their classrooms.
  • All families will receive car line numbers, tags and instructions on the first day of school.
  • Arrival & Dismissal Form (for walkers, bikers, and ALL middle school students) should be filled out and turned in at Meet the Teacher or on the first day of school to teachers or front office.
  • Car line will begin on the second day of school (August 14). Please review the Arrival & Dismissal Instructions & Diagrams so you are prepared for a safe drop-off or pick-up.
  • Please take a moment to review our new arrival and dismissal procedures for the 2019-20 school year in the Family Handbook or on our website.
 
BEYOND THE BELL (Before & After Care)
The August and September calendars are available on our website at: staopcs.org/beyondthebell . If you plan to use Beyond the Bell during the months of August and September, please complete the calendars and email to Charlotte Aldrich at caldrich@staopcs.org . Payments are invoiced through FACTS© accounts. There is no Beyond the Bell on the first day of school (August 13th). 
 
SUMMER REQUIRED READING
You still have time to finish up your summer reading. Requirements and forms are posted on the school web site, staopcs.org/summer–reading–lists. Please keep summer reading logs and projects at home until teachers ask for them.

  • If your 1st - 6th grade student has read 8 or more books this summer they may qualify for a free book from Barnes & Noble. Click to learn more!

ABSENCES
Parents are required to contact the school office at attendance@staopcs.org by 8:30 AM on the day of an absence or in advance, if known. Calls made by students are not acceptable. If a student’s absence is not confirmed by 8:30 am, the school office attempts to contact the parent to verify the student’s whereabouts. Please let us know in advance if your child will be absent due to a scheduled appointment.

CAMPUS SECURITY: VISITORS & VOLUNTEERS
Access to school building during school hours is through the main entrance. Other entrances including those into the Bishop Sheltz Fellowship Hall are locked for the safety and security of our students, staff, and visitors. Public access to the interior of the school building will be restricted to the office lobby. All visitors, including school parents are required to check in through the school office and show valid picture identification. Visitors approved to enter the building will be issued nametags that must be worn while on campus including the Fellowship Hall for lunch. Visitors should turn in nametags at the school front office when they leave the building. Security cameras cover building entrances, interior hallways, and stairwells providing 24–hour recording surveillance.

FACTS FAMILY PORTAL (ParentsWeb©)
Our school management system is FACTS FAMILY PORTAL (ParentsWeb©) – a private and secure parents’ portal that allows parents to see academic information specific to their children, while protecting their children’s information from others. If you went through the online enrollment process, you should already have a FACTS FAMILY PORTAL Login. However, if not, please follow the directions listed on our website at: https://www.staopcs.org/parentsweb

LUNCH PROGRAM
We are pleased to welcome Geomar © back as our hot lunch vendor. Lunch service will begin on the second day of school. Orders and payment must be placed through their website at geomar.h1.hotlunchonline.net . You can access their website directly or through a link on the school web page. Online menus are available for viewing, and orders must be placed at least 2 days in advance to ensure that enough meals are prepared each day.
Students may bring lunches from home. Information about snacks will be provided by the homeroom teachers. Students do not have access to cold storage, heating appliances or utensils.
 
MIDDLE SCHOOL CHROMEBOOKS:
We are excited once again to offer our middle school students the use of Chromebooksℱ to enhance their educational experience. The purpose of this 1:1 Chromebookℱ Program is to have a seamless integration between technology and the curriculum in order to promote a 21 st century classroom. This device is for educational purposes only. If you have any questions about our Chromebook program please contact our Information Technologist, Arlene Failde .

ATHLETIC PROGRAM
Calling all cross country, soccer, and volleyball players!
Practices start: 
Soccer: 5th-8th Grade Boys and Girls - Tuesday, August 13, 3:30-5:30 pm
Volleyball: 6th-8th Grade Girls - Tuesday, August 13, 3:30-5:30 pm
Cross Country: 5th-8th Grade Boys and Girls - Tuesday, August 13, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
All athletes must have a current physical on file at school before they will be able to participate. 
BELONG WALL
To help us decorate our hallways with our theme of BELONG - please bring in a family photo! Photos may be dropped off at the front office anytime the school is open (or on uniform sale days, Meet the Teacher, or First Day).
VOLUNTEERING
SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING (VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT)
Our school requires anyone wanting to participate in volunteer activities to complete Safe Environment Training. As a community of faith it is our moral responsibility to safeguard children, the most important gifts God entrusts to us.  NOTE: All volunteers/parents must be current with safe environment training in order to participate in volunteer opportunities within our school.

Safe Environment Program - The CMG Safe Haven online training consists of 3 vignette style training videos that is approximately 60 minutes and will include a criminal background check that must be completed. These trainings will be available in English and Spanish. Live trainings will no longer be offered, all Safe Environment training will only be available online. For more information about completing Safe Environment Training please visit: https://www.staopcs.org/safe-environment-training

ROOM PARENTS & OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
If you are interested in being a Room Parent, please email: roomparent@staopcs.org . Room Parents will be notified if they are selected. Additional Volunteer Opportunities will be communicated in The Messenger e-newsletter. Save-the-date for a Volunteer & Room Parent Orientation: Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 10:15 am.
SPIRIT WEAR
2019-2020 SPIRIT T-SHIRTS
ï»żThis year's SPIRIT SHIRT reflects our new theme, "Belong. Believe. Bless." The charge for the shirt will be $20. Once purchased, money will not need to be sent in on $1 Spirit Shirt & Jeans Days. The cost of $1 Spirit Shirt & Jeans Days is included. The proceeds will go to support the following ministries: Honduras Mission, Cross Catholic, The LabourĂ© Society, Prolife Across America and PACN (Pregnancy Assistance Center North ). All orders must be received by Friday, August 30. Click button below to order.

**Students wearing Spirit Shirts from previous years will be required to contribute $1 to the sponsored ministry on $1 T-shirt & Jeans Days. 

For more info on sizing please visit our website: https://www.staopcs.org/spirit-store .
SQUAD LOCKER SPIRITWEAR
We are excited to launch our very own Spirit Store through Squad Locker. Our school will receive a percentage of all sales to benefit our programs on campus. Enter coupon code: PLAYNOW for 10% off! Outerwear items may be worn by students over uniforms.
SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL
COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAM
Our school would not exist without the support and engagement of our community members and businesses.  Thank you to the following organizations for their early commitment as 2019-2020 Community Partners!

ï»ż Halloween Science Day Sponsor :
JK Dentistry

Green Folder Sponsor:
America's Family Dental

Teacher Appreciation Week Sponsor:
Hughes & Cozad Orthodontics

Silver Sponsors :
Jo Anne Johnson Real Estate Group
Wheeler Pediatric Dentistry

If you would like to promote your business and support our school, please let us know! Click the button for more information about this year's program.
WISH LIST - 2019-2020
Are you interested in making an immediate impact for our students? Our faculty has created a list of classroom items that we would like to purchase for our students. As a school we will be working to fund these items through the Fund for St. Anthony but if you would like to give to specific items, you may give online at the link below. THANK YOU!
GIVING BY LIVING
Shop at Amazon, need school supply labels, or collect Box Tops? Through just living your life and making purchases, you can raise money for our school and students.These are a few of the simple ways you can support our school! More info is at: staopcs.org/giving-by-living

STAOPCS students, parents and teachers have been collecting Box Tops coupons and earning money for our school. 

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know.

Personalized labels are great for uniforms, water bottles & lunchboxes! Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School to place your order and support our school!

Shop at Shutterfly or Tiny Prints and 8% of your purchase will be donated to St. Anthony! Shop here: staopcs.shutterflystorefront.com
Enjoy your last few days of summer! See you soon!
(281) 296-0300
7901 Bay Branch Dr.
The Woodlands, TX 77382